2012 NBA Lottery Recap
Let the conspiracy theories begin. Not that any of them are practical or logical, but that's the price the NBA pays for owning a team. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 Draft plus new ownership in New Orleans means that a team in limbo of playoff contention yet a franchise that was not quite good enough and ended up rebuilding by trading a star in Chris Paul will certainly move through the rebuilding phase swiftly by selecting Anthony Davis with their first pick. And on top of that, New Orleans also has the 10th overall pick as well. Chris Kaman was already good as gone (free agent) before the offseason began and the star asset in the Chris Paul trade, Eric Gordon, also a free agent, will almost certainly re-sign with the design of the Hornets' new lineup. In his seven healthy games in the final month of the season, Gordon averaged 20.4 points as his team posted a 5-2 record with him.
Most went according to plan in the NBA Draft Lottery, where only the New Orleans Hornets' made a jump, leapfrogging Cleveland, Washington and Charlotte to grab the No. 1 pick. The Hornets' gain make Charlotte the biggest losers in this draft. While snagging the No. 2 pick normally isn't a bad consolation prize, when the difference in talent and tiers is as great as it is between Anthony Davis and the field, and the Bobcats are as bad as they are, it's a huge loss. Instead of a budding superstar, Charlotte will still take the best player on their board and look to fill needs through free agency. After a 7-59 season, just a .106 winning percentage, the worst of all time, Jordan's Bobcats certainly have to take the best available here.
Aside from Charlotte falling to No. 2, the Brooklyn Nets are the Draft's second-biggest loser, which sent their top-three protect pick to Portland when they landed sixth. With new ownership and the team moving into Brooklyn this season, they are expected to be major players in the free agent and trade market including their own Deron Williams who they hope to re-sign.
After attempting to work out a trade with the Utah Jazz in recent weeks to assure them of their 2012 lottery pick (it was top seven protected), Golden State gets to keep their pick anyway as they landed the seventh spot in the Draft.
Portland, with the sixth and 11th picks, joins New Orleans (first and tenth) as the lone team with multiple lottery picks.
By NBA-DRAFT.com Staff Writer - 5-31-12
